© Dorking Advertiser Local World Ltd
Many thanks to Jim Edwards of North Holmwood for this research.
Harry Edward Hankinson was born in Dorking on 13th August 1893 and baptised the following year at St Martin’s. In 1901 he was living at 21 Mill Lane with his father, Henry Joseph, who was home on furlough from the Royal Reserves of the Royal Garrison Artillery, and his mother, Emily. The Royal Reserves were temporary units of former soldiers raised during the Boer War for home service to replace regular troops sent to South Africa.
IIn 1911 Edward was living at Woodyers Farm, Beare Green as a boarder and working as a carter on the farm. His father (now a jobbing gardener) and mother were living at Blackbrook, Holmwood. One sister, Margaret, had married at St John’s Church and was living in Bentsbrook Cottages, North Holmwood and his other sister, Rose, was in service as a cook in Harrow Road West, Dorking.
A HOLMWOOD HERO’S DEATH
We regret to record the death in action of Gunner Harry Edward Hankinson, of the Royal Horse Artillery, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Hankinson of Blackbrook, Holmwood, Gunner Hankinson, whose death is reported to have taken place on June 10th, who was one of the first from Holmwood to respond to the call of the Empire, and had been in H.M. Forces over ten months. He formed one of the guard at the funeral of the late Lord Roberts, and crossed the Channel last Christmas. He was only 20 years of age, and was at the great fight of Neuve Chapelle, whilst he had taken part in the recent important battles.
Harry Hankinson Death Notice © Dorking Advertiser
Edward enlisted at Guildford around August 1914 and served in the Royal Horse Artillery (number 78833) as a gunner (private). He went to France on 16th December 1914. No records have been found to show which unit he joined there. By June 1915 he was in 2nd Indian Cavalry Division Ammunition Column at Flechin, which was supplying X Battery also at Flechin. The DAC had moved from India at the start of the war. It was composed of British and Indian troops, equipped mainly with four and 6 horse heavy wagons. They were supplied with ammunition from ammunition parks and moved it forward to the guns, also supplying rifle and pistol ammunition to the infantry.
The DAC war diary for 10th June 1915 states: “No 78833 Gunner H Hankinson met with a serious accident whilst returning from watering order, his horse having bolted with him. He died at Meerut Clearing Hospital same afternoon.”
The Meerut Casualty Clearing Hospital arrived in France in October 1914 from India and was attached to the Meerut Division. It was one of three Indian army hospitals that had moved to France early in the war. In January 1915 all the Casualty Clearing Hospitals were officially re-designated as Casualty Clearing Stations. This CCS had British and Indian staff and in 1915 was treating mainly Indian patients with a small number of British ones. It was established in a quite area at Aire, served by a railway station as was normal. It received patients from Field Ambulances (these were first aid posts rather than actual ambulances) and after some treatment either sent them to a base hospital near the coast about 40 miles away, at Boulogne or Calais or returned them to their unit if sufficiently recovered. Most of the patients at Meerut were sick (the Indian troops suffered badly in the European conditions); the only wounded it received in June came from other CCSs for convalescence before returning to their units. Unusually it had a convalescent ward.
The CCS war diary records: “10.6.15 Aire. Gr Hankinson X Ammunition Column RHA was admitted with concussion due to a fall from his horse. He was bleeding profusely form the right ear and was in a very irritable restless condition He died in a few hours. Post mortem revealed a fracture of vault & base of skull.” He was their only fatality that month.
(His death is shown as occurring in India on Ancestry. This is clearly a mistake. X Ammunition Column, shown in the CCS war diary and on other records, is also an error – there was no such unit.)
It is very rare for an individual soldier (as opposed to officers) to be mentioned in a war diary. Extraordinarily Harry is mentioned in two – perhaps because of the unusual circumstances of his death.
Edward’s mother was still at Plough Cottage, Blackbrook. His mother’s brother also lost a son commemorated in North Holmwood, Thomas Lucas. Edward’s sister, Rose, later married at St John’s Church in 1925.
An interesting report appeared in the Dorking Advertiser. Harry’s father, Henry was forced to defend Harry’s name against accusations that Harry was an alcoholic.
Gunner H. E. Hankinson. R.H.A
Killed in France
“The young hero sent home some thrilling letters regarding his experiences at the Front. One of his stated: “I know now what it is like to be under shell fire, as our Battery was in action and we had to take up the ammunition. The sights out here are something cruel to see. All the houses are burnt to the ground, and the trees knocked right in half by shell. We were at the guns the other day, and we saw the shells bursting in front of us only about three or four hundred yards away. The Germans were firing at a church, which is the only thing they seem to fire at. We also saw them firing at one of our aeroplanes, but they could not hit it. There are a lot of graves beside the road with a cross and a soldier’s name on every one and the date the poor fellows were killed. The people here don’t seem to take any notice of the guns. What houses are left are all full, and where our Battery is there is a house not ten yards behind it and people still living in it. If that was me I should want to clear out of the way. I have been pretty lucky so far not to have stopped a bullet : let us hope it will keep so.”
A recent letter states : “I expect you thought I was never going to write again, but we have been busy just lately, and have not had much time. Our Battery came out of action last Sunday, and so we have moved away from the firing line for a little rest. We are in a little French village. It is a pretty place, and the people are very good to us. I have not yet stopped a bullet yet, but have had some narrow scrapes. I was standing beside one of our teams when the leading driver got hit in the head, so I had to take his place. We had to gallop as the Germans could see us. It is a pitiful sight to see the wounded come out of the trenches. The Germans are a lot worse than …. : they are using a lot of poisonous gas shells…”
Mr Hankinson writes us tendering his thanks to “all kind friends for sharing with him the loss of his son,” and adds : “Only one person when this was mentioned, said if he had not been killed in the war, he would have killed himself with drink. Sir, I think such a thing as this is a shame on the person saying it. I certainly can say that my son was a credit to us at home and away, and I think the many friends of his, will endorse what I say. It is a great pity that people should not think before saying such things. It plainly shows their thoughts with respect to our brave lads in khaki. Where would they have been had not the same noble lads stemmed the rushing tide of a demon foe. Would they have a roof over their heads? Would they have anything to eat? And yet this is the respect they show towards the parents who have forfeited their only son’s life to uphold old England’s name. I am pleased to say son’s name is honoured in Dorking and all the surroundings, and I, his father, will not have it dishonoured. He died a noble death; let him rest in peace. “
Harry Hankinson Obituary. Copyright Dorking Advertiser. findmypast.co.uk
| Born | Dorking, Surrey | |
| Lived | Beare Green, Surrey | |
| Son of | Henry Joseph and Emily Hankinson of Blackbrook, Holmwood | |
| Enlisted | Guilford, Surrey | |
| Regiment | X Ammunition Column, Royal Artillery | |
| Number | 78833 | |
| Date of Death | 10th June 1915 | |
| Place of Death | Meerut Casualty Clearing Station, Aire, France | |
| Cause of Death | Died of wounds | |
| Age | 21 | |
| Cemetery | Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais |
